Local 396 Re-allocates money from pension to wages....

Local 396 has decided to take .25 an hour from two pension contribution programs and re-allocate them to hourly wages for the first year only.

After advising the members that "they" negotiated higher wages for 396 members, they had to admit that this "raise" of wages was merely a re-allocation of the employees funds from one place to another.

It had been represented that the Local negotiated higher wages for it members making us the highest paid UPS employees in the country, however,it turns out that "we" the members are paying our own wage increase.

The increase is so marginal that it is a joke.

The .25 cents over 1 year will amount to about nothing after taxes. If an employee is lucky, after taxes he/she will clear about .15 of that .25 cents therefore making it useless.

Why not just leave that money alone in the pension programs.

All a play on words....anything to force us to vote YES on this contract.

I have already voted NO and I recommend that all 396 members vote this contract down and force the Union and the Company to sit back down and fix this nightmare on paper.

For those in other locals, check and see if any funds were diverted from your pensions to your hourly wages.!!

Local 396 has decided to take .25 an hour from two pension contribution programs and re-allocate them to hourly wages for the first year only.

After advising the members that "they" negotiated higher wages for 396 members, they had to admit that this "raise" of wages was merely a re-allocation of the employees funds from one place to another.

It had been represented that the Local negotiated higher wages for it members making us the highest paid UPS employees in the country, however,it turns out that "we" the members are paying our own wage increase.

The increase is so marginal that it is a joke.

The .25 cents over 1 year will amount to about nothing after taxes. If an employee is lucky, after taxes he/she will clear about .15 of that .25 cents therefore making it useless.

Why not just leave that money alone in the pension programs.

All a play on words....anything to force us to vote YES on this contract.

I have already voted NO and I recommend that all 396 members vote this contract down and force the Union and the Company to sit back down and fix this nightmare on paper.

For those in other locals, check and see if any funds were diverted from your pensions to your hourly wages.!!

Peace.

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WOW!
A monitary bonus that the employees pay to themselves . That's a new concept!

WOW!
A monitary bonus that the employees pay to themselves . That's a new concept!

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EXACTLY!

All a play on words here in 396 Sawdusty, tell the membership "they" got us more money than the rest of the country, then, "oh yeah" we took it from your hourly pension contribution and gave it to your hourly wage.

Brownshark-As a member of local 381 which is covered by the southwest rider, I to was surprised to read about the transfer of pension funds to our 1x wage increase on August 1 2008 if we accept this contract. What a joke, why even do this???? I would much rather it stay in my pension, I will certainly be asking my BA what the F$%^k they were thinking.

When I first read the rider I had to re-read that section a couple of times, it just struck me as odd, when this whole contract is about securing pension/health benifits. So our leaders divert pension funds to increase our wages and UPS can divert wages to the pension-whats wrong with this picture. Makes you wonder if 396 is thinking ahead and knows that UPS will indeed divert wages to the pension.

This reallocation of funds is a cleaver rouse to entice those brothers that are part-timers, sitting on a Yes/No vote, not knowing which way to go, most concerned about the financial language. It is an attempt to put them over the edge into a yes vote, by upping their potential first year GWI.

On another note, I received a sturdy a lecture from a group of four old-timers at the end of my shift today, about why I should vote yes. They threw many threats at me, about how there is no way we will benefit from a no vote, we will end up on strike, the company will close, and start up again without the union, we will all lose our jobs…etc. Etc.

This was an attempt to get me to not only change my vote, but to stop suggesting to others to vote no as well. I mentioned, “if this thing gets sent down, don’t come blaming me, as if I had the ability to organize all across the continental United States with my Jedi-night like mental telepathy.” They all looked at me as if I **** in their hat.

But I cant help but to be concerned that the people that are doing our bargaining (questionably), are telling us that a no vote will lead to a strike, or everything being taken off the table. Makes one question whether they would have our best interest at heart. Of course there is the possiblity of a negative outcome with a no vote, but it seems unlikely that the company would be willing to let it get to that extreme just to prove a point…but you never know.

Brothers and sisters please take note! Does anyone remember the strike year? Ups made us a rediculous contract offer which would have eventually turned us all into part-timers. Then came back with a final offer which was also terrible. The company lost their ass because the country was behind us as well as the politicians and the media. Remember the phrase "Divide and conquer" The company tries this every contract. In previous contracts they would offer a signing bonus to persuade us to accept a lousy contract. Well this might be great for the part time employee who may not be with us next year. The rest of us will have to live with the vote we make for the next 5 years. The language in this present contract offer is terrible. The union sold us out and if you read what some of the management bloggers are saying, you should be able to see that they are both in bed. Think about what everyone wants!! The union wants money!!! As much as they can get!!! Management is holding the many millions of stocks that they got off our backs as bonuses. Remember that now, UPS stock is publicly traded and if there was to be a strike or a long drawn out negotiation then that stock would devalue rather quickly. I own stock that I purchased with my hard worked dollars and I don't want to see it lose in value however I'm not gonna sell my soul for this lousy offer. The reason that the company wanted to start negotiations at such an early timeframe was to protect the company stock. The closer we get to contract expiration, the more impact it will have on the stock. I encouage all of you to decline this offer and you will not regret it! The company will renegotiate and make another offer! They have no choice!!!! The union must realize that we are tired of being overworked and they must readdress the language in the many articles which deal with working conditions.

I wore a vote no T-shirt to work, and the cowards of 396 stewards told management to make me take it off. Can I get a refund on my dues.

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Dude, no one has the right to tell you to take of that shirt, anymore than they have a right to tell you to take of your teamster shirt. That can be grieved at the National Labor Relation Board level. Imagine how much your stewards and the Local would have your back if they to were against this contract, if management tried to tell you to take a VOTE NO shirt off. The lack of protection from our locals right now is ridicules, even if they want us to vote Yes, they should still be protecting our rights. This is a shameful time right now. You have my respect and heart felt sympathy.

Just remember we WONT have the public on our side, it happened in NYC with a strike recently, they where squabbling over pay and healthcare, they came away with less then what was offered. The public view on this went south when it came to paying or not paying for healthcare.